TRREN Exhaust Nozzle-M-Spike Turbo Ram Rocket

ABSTRACT

An engine system that produces all required thrust for an aerospace vehicle from takeoff through space operation, consisting of airbreathing and non-airbreathing propulsion apparatuses. The airbreathing system consists of a turbine engine, a ram and or scram jet, and the non-airbreathing system is a unique liquid rocket motor. The turbine engine may consist of a turbojet or turbofan configuration. The air breathing turbine, ramjet and scram jet feature a single air inlet system, and combustion fuel. The non-airbreathing rocket system includes separate oxidizer system, and either a separate or same source of combustion fuel as the turbine. Airflow velocities in the turbine bypass duct, and burner system, include subsonic and supersonic velocities for ramjet or scramjet operation. The rocket engine may utilize either cryogenic or a non-cryogenic fuel and oxidizer system.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

An airbreathing and non-airbreathing aerospace propulsion system using used to accelerate a vehicle from ground level to orbital altitudes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is relating to an aerospace propulsion system. Aerospace propulsion systems of the future will operate over a larger speed regime than ever before, and will employ low drag techniques with as small a frontal structural area as possible, to minimize parasite drag. This will be achieved with this invention by morphing aerospace propulsion systems with an improved 2-stage air inlet system and a 3-position exhaust nozzle ring and port system. Geometry of the rings, ports, and spikes works to efficiently control subsonic and supersonic air flows and control shock waves.

This propulsion system provides thrust to an aerospace vehicle over a complete speed range from zero to hypersonic, and altitudes from ground level to earth orbit. This propulsion system employs rocket, turbine, exhaust nozzle, and air inlet systems that work together cohesively to control air flow, combustion gas flow, pressures, velocities, and shock waves to optimize propulsive efficiencies throughout a given vehicles entire flight envelope.

This invention introduces a unique combustion chamber arrangement, an air inlet assembly, an exhaust nozzle system called TRREN Exhaust Nozzle and M-Spike Rocket engine. The TRREN and M-spike systems are improvements to existing airbreathing and non-airbreathing combustion methods of propulsion by morphing techniques to control air flow, combustion gasses, and the position of shock waves, in an aerospace propulsion system. The 2-stage inlet system features active cooling to maintain low engine temperatures to prevent turbine overheating. The rocket functions as either a sole source of propulsion, at altitudes beyond airbreathing propulsion capabilities, or in a merged propulsion mode with the airbreathing system(s).

The turbine engine and rocket propulsion systems are oriented in a straight linear arrangement (as opposed to an adjacent side by side configuration) helping to keep a lower frontal cross-sectional area and associated lower drag coefficient.

SUMMARY

The components of this invention are utilized as a propulsion system in an aerospace vehicle and transform the methods of thrust in an enhanced arrangement throughout a flight to propel a given vehicle to orbital altitudes and velocities. The details of these embodiments are described and depicted in the accompanying illustrations and description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 illustrates the propulsion system including air inlet system, aft inlet ring in closed position and in turbofan propulsion mode, rocket engine with M-spike, and exhaust nozzle with TRREN turbine nozzle in the open position turbine propulsion mode.

FIG. 2 illustrates the TRREN exhaust nozzle and M-spike rocket engine in full rocket mode with both TRREN rings in closed-aft positions, and the M-spike in the aft position.

FIG. 3 illustrates the TRREN exhaust nozzle in the turbine propulsion mode with the turbine ring in the closed position, and ram ring in the closed position.

FIG. 4 illustrates the TRREN exhaust nozzle in the turbo-ram propulsion mode, with both the turbine exhaust ring, and the ram exhaust ring in the open-forward positions.

FIG. 5 illustrates the TRREN exhaust nozzle in the ram-rocket mode with ram exhaust ring in the open-forward position, the turbine exhaust ring in the closed-aft position, and M-spike in the center position

FIG. 6 illustrates the M-spike rocket with the spike in the forward position to provide optimum control with nozzle operating conditions in under-expanded or over-expanded conditions.

FIG. 7 illustrates the propulsion system TRREN exhaust nozzle with a single ring as a turbo-ramjet exhaust ring in the open position, turbine section, ram burner and duct, and M-spike rocket.

FIG. 8 illustrates the 2-stage air inlet system with aft inlet ring in open (aft) position and in turbo-ramjet/scramjet propulsion mode.

FIG. 9 illustrates the air inlet system with forward inlet spike in forward position and aft inlet ring in closed position in turbine propulsion mode.

FIG. 10 illustrates the air inlet system with the spike tip of the forward inlet spike in the extended position.

FIG. 11 illustrates the M-spike rocket engine as an independent propulsion engine without the TRREN exhaust nozzle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS AND INVENTION

This invention improves the function of existing airbreathing and non-airbreathing systems as a collective propulsion system FIG. 1. The components of the air-inlet systems forward inlet spike 2, spike tip 1, and forward inlet ring 3 form the primary means to control airflow and shock waves to the airbreathing propulsion system(s) throughout vehicle speeds.

The turbofan engine 6, 7, provide thrust for the aerospace vehicle from takeoff thru supersonic, and high supersonic speeds. During turbine propulsion mode, the TRREN turbine ring 12 is in the forward position (FIG. 3) opening turbine port 18 allowing fan discharge air 22 and core 7 combustion gas 21 from the compressor discharge air 21 to merge and flow thru the convergent duct section 20, to the divergent exhaust nozzle 13, 17 at supersonic flow velocity.

At high supersonic speeds and above, airflow to the turbine section 6, 7 is further controlled by the aft inlet ring 4 and aft inlet spike 5 as a second convergent—divergent duct 24, 23 configuration to maintain subsonic airflow velocities for entry to the turbofan 6 and turbine core airflow 7. The reduction in flow velocity causes a corresponding increase in pressure at the aft spike that contributes to engine thrust.

As the vehicle airspeed increases thru supersonic (to high supersonic) the spike tip 1 extends or retracts as required (FIGS. 9, 10) to control the location of the shock cone at or in the inlet 25. The aft inlet ring 4 translates to a downstream position opening the ram/scram bypass duct 15 (FIG. 8) allowing airflow to the ram/scram burner 8 and fuel flows to the ram/scram fuel manifold 8 for combustion. Fuel flows through the cooling channels in the aft inlet spike 5 and ring 4 to maintain turbine inlet temperatures within engine tolerance range. As the aft inlet ring 4 moves to open position, the ram/scram exhaust ring 14 translates forward to open the nozzle port allowing ram/scram flows into the TRREN exhaust nozzle (FIG. 4). The ramjet and or scramjet 8 propulsion system(s) engage seamlessly to provide thrust for the vehicle.

The downstream position of the aft inlet ring 4 allows airflow to be divided between the turbine engine 6, 7 and ramjet/scramjet 8 flows thru the bypass duct 15 for simultaneous propulsion. The convergent-divergent duct configuration 24, 23 of the aft inlet ring 4 and spike 5 allows the turbine engine to contribute to propulsion with the ramjet and scramjet 15 modes at high supersonic and low hypersonic vehicle speeds. The two-stage convergent-divergent duct system works to improve flow control for the airbreathing system and allow the turbine section to contribute to vehicle thrust at higher vehicle speeds, as active cooling methods maintain acceptable core temperature levels.

As the vehicle accelerates from high supersonic to hypersonic, the aft inlet ring 4 moves full aft to close the convergent-divergent 24, 23 duct, and the turbine exhaust ring 12 moves to aft closed position (FIG. 5). Rocket fuel flows through cooling channels in the M-spike 11, and combustion chamber 10 walls to control temperature, fuel and oxidizer flow to the intake manifold 9 into the rocket combustion chamber 10 for combustion, and the non-airbreathing rocket 10 ignites and provides propulsion thru to orbital altitudes. As vehicle speed and altitude increase, the M-spike 11 translates forward or aft in the throat (FIGS. 5, 6) as required to control and focus the combustion flow, shock waves, and improve exhaust nozzle 13, 17 efficiencies in over-expanded or under-expanded rocket operation. Movement of the M-spike 11 functions to control the flow of exhaust gas, and improve throttling capabilities through a wide range of flow rates. As altitude increases, the ram exhaust ring 14 moves aft to closed position (FIG. 2), and the aft inlet ring 4 moves to forward closed position (FIG. 9) and close the ram duct 15 for full rocket propulsion mode. 

What is claimed:
 1. An aerospace propulsion system comprising multiple modes of thrust producing machinery, the propulsion modes consist of an airbreathing turbine being either a turbofan or turbojet engine, airbreathing ramjet or scramjet sharing a common air inlet system, and a non-airbreathing rocket arraigned in a linear orientation.
 2. The propulsion modes of claim 1 utilize a common exhaust nozzle that combine all sources of flow to be joined in a single divergent exhaust nozzle, Turbo Ram Rocket Exhaust Nozzle (TRREN) for this invention, located downstream of the propulsion sources.
 3. The turbine section of claim 1 is located at and along the centerline of the engine axis, with the ramjet and scramjet and their airflows of claims 1 and 2 located circumferentially around and outside the turbine engine.
 4. The rocket of claim 1 is located downstream of the turbine engine of claim 1 features a single, cylindrical shape, axisymmetric combustion chamber located at and along the centerline of the engine axis, and features a movable axisymmetric center spike, that can translate forward and aft located in the chamber' throat area that may extend into the convergent section of the combustion chamber and divergent sections of the exhaust nozzle, called an M-Spike for this invention.
 5. The geometrical shape of the M-spike of claim 4 may resemble a prolate spheroid and or two out of phase sine waves with varying radius that is optimized to control changes in flow rates, and velocities, and the location of the shock in the throat area, and the geometry is such to optimize throat cross section to allow flow of gas to be supersonic entering the divergent nozzle section downstream of the combustion chamber and may function to control over-expanded or under-expanded operation.
 6. The rocket motor of claim(s) 1, 4 may use a cryogenic or non-cryogenic oxidizer and liquid propellant and may be operated alone as an independent standalone non-airbreathing propulsion system excluding a TRREN exhaust nozzle (FIG. 11) of claim 3, and excluding an air inlet system of claim
 1. 7. The rocket according to claims 1, 4 provides either sole rocket propulsion or rocket augmentation propulsion with the airbreathing system and exhaust nozzle of claim 2, and may use similar fuel type and source as the turbine section or alternate type and source.
 8. The geometry of the exhaust nozzle of claim 2 is parabolic shape and comprises one (FIG. 7) or two annular rings that translate forward and aft to open and close port(s) in the nozzle (TRREN), forward position to open and aft position to close, the two rings function as a 3-position system with intermediate settings.
 9. The TRREN exhaust nozzle and rings per claims 2, 8 functions in correlation with an air inlet system of claim 5 that are axis symmetrical around the circumference of the centerline of the rocket, featuring geometry to create a condition for the flow of gases to be supersonic entering the divergent section of the Nozzle (TRREN) of claim
 3. 10. The air inlet system of claim 1 includes two or more sets of bullet spike and annular ring that translate to forward and aft positions, and each set forms a convergent and divergent duct configuration that operate as a 2-stage system to control flow rates, pressures, and inlet shocks, which may translate independently of each other to optimize propulsive efficiency for the airbreathing propulsion system of claim
 1. 11. The forward section of the spike and ring configuration(s) of claim 10 create a convergent duct to cause supersonic flows to decrease velocity, and the aft section creates a divergent duct.
 12. The forward inlet spike and ring set of claim 10, 11 form the primary control of inlet air flow, and are located upstream of the aft inlet spike of claim 11, the tip of the forward inlet spike extends forward upstream and retracts aft to control shock waves at the air inlet.
 13. The aft inlet spike and ring set of claim 10, 11, open and close a bypass duct to direct air flow streams to an annular path around the turbine section for ramjet and scram jet airflow operation with subsonic and supersonic flows.
 14. The forward inlet spike and ring configuration may utilize slightly alternate geometry (FIG. 1 items 2, 3) with a similar function to match various blended airframe design criteria, to work in conjunction with the aft inlet ring and spike of claim 10, 11 and mate with the TRREN exhaust nozzle and rings per claims 2, 8,
 9. 15. The turbine engine of claim(s) 1 and 3, may include a fan section, low and high-pressure compressors, combustion section, and a turbine section. 